Fire guts troubled East Side market

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A fire has destroyed a food market on Youngstown’s East Side that city officials had considered shutting down as a nuisance.

The F&N Market on the 1300 block of Shehy Street is a total loss after the Saturday night fire, officials said.

The convenience store closed at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, and about 30 minutes later, flames were pouring out of the East Side structure.

The fire department tried to enter by the front and side doors but could not. It appears the fire started on the second floor. No injuries were reported.

The department said a fire investigator would be on the scene today.

Fadel Samad, who owned the store for almost 30 years, sold it three months ago to Mike Sinsh.

F&N Food Market has had its share of turbulence.

On Sunday, Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams commented that “no action was being taken at this time” in reference to possible nuisance violations at F&N Market. But, the mayor said, it had remained on the radar screen.

The Vindicator reported last year that Williams was working with police and city Prosecutor Jay Macejko to close the market, possibly on nuisance violations.

In that story, Williams said, “We’re not looking to drive businesses out of the city. However, for the ones that attract crime, we’re prompted to take action.”

Officials had taken a hard look at the market after a shooting April 15, 2009, outside the market in which Tommy D. Jones, 32, of Gypsy Lane died after being shot four times.

After that shooting, Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said, citing the problem of loiterers, “Shutting down the store and ridding the neighborhood of that store will be a priority.”

Three other homicides near the market took place from 2000 to 2005. The story also noted that there were 80 calls to 911 since 2002 about the store. Callers reported a variety of criminal activity, including gunfire, drug activity and fights.

At that time, Samad said no one loitered in front of the store but on vacant property next door. He said that was city property and he had no authority to tell people to move.